welshconan 0 Posted February 3, 2009 Ok Chaps Hope you can help - my corrado just broke down!!! :( Driving along and black smoke came through my vents and the car steamed up. I pulled over and I noticed my passenger footwell had loads of coolant in it. The car has been recovered now and is sat in my local garage. Anyone know what this problem might be...........need prepare to spend more money on the dam thing. Only just forked out £700 on a new rad/water pump and window regulator. Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blue95 0 Posted February 3, 2009 hi mate, Your matrix has popped. located behind centre of dash. look in wiki for a replace guide Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidwort 0 Posted February 3, 2009 This seems to be the thing to go wrong at the moment, perhaps it's temperature related??? - that's a classic heater matrix blown, dash out job I'm afraid, or at least partially out, and a new matrix required (like a mini radiator but to transfer heat into the car from the coolant) :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshconan 0 Posted February 3, 2009 Could all this be related........... A month ago my rad started leaking so had that replaced, while being replaced my mechanic noticed the water pump was leaking so that got replaced. Now the heater matrix has gone - to much of a coincidence????? That's the final straw - it breaks my heart to say it but the car is being sold!!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted February 3, 2009 yep, related. As with any items working under pressure, the weak links in the chain are broken in succession until all are replaced. Your main radiator and water pump obviously were leaking pressure, so now that they've been replaced, the matrix is now seeing the full water pressure and that's now popped as a result. Constant hot / cold cycling with plastic ended radiators is not good imo. Radiators should be made of the same material throughout (i.e. all alloy) to reduce thermo fatigue..... in fact.....when I hoik out another matrix, I will be getting it replicated by Proalloy or Allard etc.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidwort 0 Posted February 3, 2009 interestingly enough, I read a VW USA safety recall note I found on the web today for the Corrado, the matrix fault was for the ends of the matrix pipe failing, not the matrix core itself, so that would tally, the plastic-to-metal core joint was obviously a bit weak on the original design. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted February 3, 2009 And it still is because I replaced my matrix 2.5 years ago, with a genuine one, and it's leaking again already! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
